Sunday, March 23, 2014

The first day of spring has passed, and I've been having thoughts about summer, which leads me to thoughts about the 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt. I've really enjoyed hosting this event for the last few years, and I'm looking forward to doing it again this year. Interesting items to add to the list have been floating through my mind and ideas about how to structure it have been simmering there as well.For those of you who haven't participated before, I host this event starting on June 1 and running until the last day of summer (September 22, 2014). I post a list of about 20 items for people to find and photograph during the summer. I encourage people to blog about their finds, and I host a link-up once a month. The original idea was to create a list which gets people out and about during the summer months to explore places they might not otherwise go, but I also include items which are somewhat challenging to find. The time frame is long enough that most people are able to find most of the items without being too stressed. It's become a way for people to open their eyes and be aware of their surroundings and also a way to see the great variety of items found around the world. There's usually about 60 participants from all over the globe, which means some people are actually participating in the summertime scavenger hunt during the winter (those in Australia and New Zealand).The scavenger hunt is free and open to everyone! If you don't have a blog, you can put your images in a flicker account or any other photo hosting site that works for you. The only rule is that the photo needs to be taken during the time frame of the Hunt (no using old photographs from your archives).You can click on this link to see all my old scavenger hunt posts. The 2013 list is here. You can click on this link to find the 2012 list. The 2011 list of items is clickable here.So, I was wondering if you have any feedback on the last few hunts. Any suggestions for what to do this year differently than before? It seemed to run pretty smoothly last year, so I'm leaning to using the same format. But I'm definitely open to suggestions.

37 comments:

I'm definitely looking forward to this year's scavenger hunt. I think the format has been great (as well as the lists), so no suggestions for improvement from here! Thanks for all you do to make it a success!

I was just thinking about you and the Scavenger hunt today, and wondering if you would be running it again this year! It seemed to work very smoothly last year, and we all enjoyed it, so I too am just saying both thank-you and yes please :).

So excited that you're thinking about the hunt, too! I just gathered my photos from the last two years & put them in a Project File with an album & some journal cards. I'll be putting it together at a crop in early April . . . and it has room for another year of photos! :>)

I think everything runs very well, also, so don't have any suggestions . . . unless you want to include longhorns in this year's list! LOL

Hurrah - a highlight of my summer the last few years has been your scavenger hunt. I think the general format works well. I did think that last year there was nothing really hard that had everyone searching and thinking. On the plus side more people found all items but I missed the stretch from previous years.

I am hopping from foot to foot in anticipation! There are a whole bunch of us that take part even though I seem to be the only one that blogs - all the others don't have a blog. I might encourage them to give me some of their pictures this year. I love the challenge, as does Mr M and it certainly helps get me out of the house. Waiting now... two whole months of waiting....

I was thinking about the Scavenger Hunt on Saturday and really looking forward to an excuse to get out and about with my camera! I'll join everyone else in saying that what you've already done seems to work quite well.

How funny that you should post this now. I was looking at my blog stats earlier and noticed that one of my Scavenger Hunt round up posts from last year has had 13 visits this week! I think the format works well and I'm really looking forward to joining in again this year x

I'm with everyone else here. I love your scavenger hunt Rinda! Thank you so much for the effort you put into setting it up each year. I love how it brings people together and we all have a laugh over those elusive objects like the cloud in the shape of something last year! I'm with Deb though that it was so fun to follow on IG last year so a hashtag would be cool!

I don't have a blog, I've never used instagram, and I'm not even sure how to get photos from my phone off my phone. But I've enjoyed being a spectator the past few summers, and am thinking this would be a very fun project to actually try to do. Plus, it's been too long since our last scavenger hunt together!

It's funny you should post this last week because I just found you by chance while I was looking at a blog for the first time. She had a link from last year. This sounds like so much fun I've already posted to my calendar. Last years guidelines and list look great and now I'm headed to find the 2012 and 2011 lists. Just for fun. I can't wait to get started. Thanks.

Just how it is works well for us too, the family love having something different to do during the winter months down here, can't wait even though I have been very quiet for the past 6 months, this is one thing I can achieve and look forward to doing, thanks

Hi Rinda,I participated last year for the first time and really enjoyed it. I plan to again this summer. One suggestion I would offer, if this isn't extra work for you, is to create a Facebook group for sharing our photos. The computer I had last summer was old and very slow so it took a long time to visit everyone's blogs to see their photos. With a few other blog challenges I have participated in, there was also a FB group. It was easy to see the photos all in one place.

Hello Rinda. Hubby and I both joined in last year for the first time. It was such fun - out and about, looking, trying to find an unusual take on some of the more usual objects. I'm looking forward to June 1st!!!Margaret

You have it nailed down perfectly. As for 2013 being a bit easy, I think it depends year to year on where you live. Finding a windmill in North Carolina is no easy feat and some of us are horrible at cloud reading lol

Maria "Rinda" Ontiveros

Artist & Blogger

2016 Summertime Scavenger Hunt

The List!

1. A "wild heart" - a naturally occurring heart (like the rock above, but it doesn't have to be a rock)2. A footprint or pawprint3. A skeleton, bone or x-ray4. A book or magazine read during 20165. A porch or deck6. A camper (caravan)7. A family gathering8. A drawing, art project, artistic photograph, scrapbook page, greeting card, or art journal page created by you.9. Someone playing with, in, or around water.10. A bicycle11. Fresh produce12. A window13. The moon14. A buffet of food15. A team logo16. A map showing a trip taken during the time period17. Twins18. A supermarket cart, basket or trolley full of groceries 19. A seasonal cocktail or beverage20. Someone laughing21. A photograph of you with a newspaper or calendar page from the time period covered in the Hunt. Note: you may not use a substitute for this item.Alternatives - if you're having trouble finding any of the above, you may substitute from this list (but you may not substitute for item #21):alternative 1: a lighthousealternative 2: a baby (human or animal)